The Sun. — London, England, 1818-12-26 00:00:00

LITERARY REVIEW. A I,F.TTER to the GOVERNORS of BEIIILEM HOSPI TAL; containing an Account of their Management of that. Institution for the last 40 years : elucidated by original Letters and authentic Documents; with a correct Narra tive Confinement of James Norris by Order of their Sub-Committee; and interesting Observations on the Par liamentary Proceedings. By JOUN HASLAM, M.D. The olject of this Letter is to demonstrate to tl,e from accredited facts and Uncinestion .ithle doctoneots, that the Author has experienced front the Governors of Betitiem hospital treat tro'ht as tmjustifieble as it was unmerited ; and this - point he has supported with becoming !no siesty, correct feeling, arid convincing arguments. The first subject of discussion is the case of 3 sates NoitElls, aft unheppy and mischievous maisiac. whose prowess and ferori'y rendered him au ob ject of terror to all eho came near hint ; and the peculier construction of whose did not al low him to he secured rn the-nsuel manlier. After ti idittan had repeatedly attempted to destroy several pctsons, and in one instence bad needy eirected Isis purpose, the Author, for ale protec tion of the p4rients, seevatos, sod inspecting tiovernora of the Hospital, made application to the Sub- Committee that some further security should he adopted; Ist the same tittle' pi.oposiug tt p!dn for the attainment of this object, as mild •and humane as it Was Oft'etire, And which W.,(0(1 nor have sithjecird hint to any petsoual him)). braises.. By this cow; ivance:he woOld pace been allowed I wo ipattuients, with every reqeisite con trilmtose to health, cleanlinesa, and comfort.— llto this Seri-Committee, rejecting this lenient security, and armed with that authority which enables the igeorant to oppose science and con trwl experience, sent for their smith, and gave Itmi explicit directions to fasten this miserable o 'etch some way, that he should do tor pet - sou a nil-chief." The snith, of course, when he had received his orders, proceeded with his work, (111(1 rskh appropriate tools in due time rendered him a fixture. Dr. Ilesevet observes, that " this itoti machinery, which the tiub-Consmittee had or dered and approved, was so complicated, that it employed the smith, with tiling, bolting, screw ing, !stammering, clinching, and basilling„ nearly two hours iu adjusting it ; so that, it a tire had occurred, he most have perished in the flames, and his hones would base been calcined at the Stake which held .biro. Under this ponderous and formidable restraint the lunatic coutiutted nearly ten years, visited monthly by the Sub- Committee who bad sanctioned the apparatus which fixed and envirmied him, After the know ledge of the condition of this mattiac lied been &fettsed, and publicity had ended in universal te probation, the Secretary of State, etaidt that wis dom and humanity which confer digeity out office, interfered, and " made a regular 0111C1 , 11 cunimu iocation to the Governors on the subject." A Cononittee of Governois was then summoned, which exam'ited the officers and servants of the establishment, and deliberated on the circum stances of the case. This Committee drew Hp a Beport, which was afterwards confirmed by a Geoeral Coml. In this Report, which Dr. Haslem has inserted at length in his letter, it appears that this Committee acknowledged the former Sub-Committee to have been the sole authors of this coercion ; but more, they even justified its necessity in the following words However nnsigloly in itself such a method of restraint as that now under consideration may be, and however piinful may be the reflection, that it should in any single instance become necessary to employ it, this Committee is, notwithstanding, of opinion, that the peculiar nature of the case byfot e them did justify its application in this par ticular instance." This report was the official reply of the Governors to all the calumnies w hich bad been levelled at their body, and in due for mality it was afterwards confirmed by a General Court. But, mark what became of when its doctrines were discovered to beompalatable, when it appeared, it any culpability, or flagrant neglect had existed, that it was to be attributed to the Governors; themselves, what did they do ? They sopptessed this Laity vindication,—they buried it at night without the decent ceremonies, like a felu de se, or a still-born bastard in the strong box at Bildt:well. The concealment of this docu ment was the precursor of other manceuvres, eceually creditable to this sapient anti chartered body of Governors. It is generally known, that a Parliamentary-inquiry was instituted to discover the abuses which prevailed in the receptacles for the insane, in order !hut it Bill might he framed to ameliorate their condition. To this tribunal, 1 ' Dr. Llaslam was summoned, and the result of his .examination was so satisfactory to the Governors of Befblent, that at ()He of dirkr public festivals, the present Lott' Mayor of Londou proposed, that his health should be dvank as a testimonial of their approbation of the firmness, and perspe entity with which his evidence haul been delivered. The Doctor very properly remarks, that to 11b. At kins lie was whoFy unknown, and that the enco lniton he received was nek her the produce of solici tation nor the tribute of frieedship. As the con cealment of the official defence of the Governors could not he supposed to have diminished the public flattery concerning the treatment of Norris, they had 'tow recourse to another expediept in the plenitude of their power, and in the vainity of their judgment, they ordered their Medical o.lN cers, Dr. Mourn and the Author, to search the Perliamentaty Evidence, and therefrom select ac- cesstions against themselves ! ! This was a suf ficient presumption that the Governors had no charges to bring against them. Dr. Haslam thns characterizes this transaction :—" On this me morable occasion you seemed to have entirely for gotten that you were nu assemblage of Eftglish Gentlemen, living under the salutary influence, and guarded by the prdtection of equal laws, which, in their parental embrace, comprehend alike the meanest and most elevated, and of each individual secures the property, the character, and the life. From your respectability as it body, ft am the nature of your education, anti from your situation iu life, you could not be strangers to the practice of English Justice. Now, permit me in ask you, if in this country, in all • its various Courts, Civil, Criminal, Ecclesiastical, or Mill tory, a reece:letif 'can be fe,ind to eninp,i a til3 ll to become the assassin of his own charaeter, in order to defend himself against the absence of an accusation ? Coold you, after die solemn charge which has admitted 'you to become Governors of the Royal Hospitals of Britlewell and Beadent, a station of great honour 001 trust, and which will afford you many,opportnnities of prompting . the glory of (4041, and the welfare of your fellow 'cleatures—roilld you, with this sacred injunction still vibrating in your ears, proceed to an _act which was repugnant to every principle of jus tice, and IA mockery of her decent forms ? If the reports of the Mad-House Committee had con tained any proofs of the misconduct of your Me dical Officers, such delinquency most have been evident to your Committee, who are the manag ing Governors of tlte Hospital, and whose they it is to examine into the conduct of its offieers and ervants ; these Gentlemen, after they had pe rused the Padiamentaty Reports, if they could have fixed any chat ge of misconduct, Or neglect or duty on their 11edical Officers, would., doubt less, hate selected the specific articles of accusa tion, and sillnmoned such persons before the Com mittee or Court, to defend themselves against such allegations ; it tway even be concluded, it any culpability attached to these Officers, that the Coonntiliee, which is denominated responsible and efteclire., would have discovered their mlsconluct, independently of the Parliameotary Reports. And if they could, front their Own , rgilatit inspection, or from then perusal of the Parliamentary Re ports, have fixella charge against them, is it at all likely, without suppo , iug an act of despera ' lion, that they would order the Medical 'Officers to accuse themselves ?"----The finale of this oblitpie and unprecedented transaction was the non-elec tion of the Medical Officers, and with a few re marks on this subject, we shall conclude our Re view-of the present 'interesting and satisfactory Plblication. All persons who bold offices under the City .of London, are sunjected, as a matter of established form, to an annual election, and the same custom prevails in Bedilein Hospital. It therefore appears 'when tie Governors, in their examinations relative to Norris, found themselves to be in the wrong, and dial, in their second at tempt to make ,the Medical Officers eliminate themselves, there only remained for their escape the secret avenue of non-election, to bolster up their reputation and to maintain their charter.— When the Reader reflects that Dr. Haslam, who justly holds a high rank in his profession, who has published many Works of considerable merit, and. who must be conscious that lie possessed the advantage of peculiar experience in one of the most lamentable of human maladies, was thus ex chided from a lucrative situation, far front being surprised that he sometimes expresses his feel4tgs with warmth, it is rather surprising that he could so well command his temper wider the conscious ' 11C9f1 of severe ill-treatment and injtu y. LONDON JOURNALS. - FROM TILE MORNING PAPERS_OF THIS DAY. [Morning Chi onickl' By the Leeward Island packet we have' also re ceived letters from the Island of Margatita, de tailing the state of defence in which that impt . .- taw point has been placed, through the patriotism of its inhabitants, and the activity t ot their dis tinguished leader, General ArismeAlLLAit i iple supplies of all kinds of warlike stores bad Ptinred in , and considerable trade was carrying on, par ticularly in the proceeds of condemned prizes. A Court of Vice-Admiralty was established there for all naval concerns, Several valuable captures had been made of vessels coining front and going to La Guira, and other ports in possession of the Spa.' niards, all which were declared in a state of blockade by the Independent Government. By the same conveyance we have also received proceedings instituted against several rich Portuguese vessels captured by privateers under commissions from'Artigas, and sent to Margarita. It appears the Vice-Admiralty Court bad refu •ed to condemn them, being unaware that Artigas, who did not belong to the Government of Buenos Nvres, had any authority to issue let ters of marque. • The proceeds of vessels and cargoes had been, iu the mean time, deposited in the Court till the point was cleared up. [Morning Post.] A Tom IN TEIE GRr.AT Ciact.Es.—A very ex traordinary discovery at present occupies atten tion, in consevenee of the distinguished rank which the subject of this article holds in society. This personage has gone " to that bourne horn whence no traveller returns," and he had left be hind him a name unimpeached until this eciaircisse meat. To understand the derail, it is necessary to go some years back. A well-known character in the busy scenes of politics, many years ago, married in a foreign country a Lady of great for . tune and considerable accomplishments. Some rime After their arrival 'in this gay metropolis, the Lady having jewels of prodigious value, her hus band represented to her the folly and danger of retaining such precious articles about her person, adding the serious loss of interest, &c. The Lady was inexorable. The Gentleman desisted front the pursuit. Some time after, upon a great emer gency, the Lady sent for her legal adviser, and told him that she had been robbed of all her jewels. The Learned Gentleman recommended an immediate application to the Police Offices.— The 'Lady hesitated, Tier husband being absent 'from town—subsequently she consented. A full description of the property was entered in the robbery book at Bow-street ; handbills were is sued to the pawnbrokers, and advertisements- in serted. Aft inquiry proved fruitless ; no discovery took place during the life of the Lady, nor that of her hatsbatsd—but lo ! after his death,. the exe cutors found in his secretaire the very jewels which the wife had lost. They have been valued since, and are estimated at a very considerable sum indeed. The LORD CIiANCELLoR has not yet made up his mind to take possession of his magnificent house in Hamilton-place. It was built by the late Lord NioNTGomaata, and Illlrchased,with the furniture, for a sum about ten ihousat►d pounds itss than die first cost by the Learned Lord neatly two years ago. • For PROVINCIAL JouRNAIA, see the last Page. ST. STEPLIEN.—IIoTicIay at the Bank, Exchegnei, East India, arid Stiutti Sea Houses, this ddb•. NIAII.C. Altatvris-1 Dublin, 4 Waterford, 1- France. Due—l Waterford, Y Guernsey and Jersey, i Sweden, 2 Ham burgh, 1 Lisboa. NIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO•MORROW. Morning, IR minutes after 2. I Evening, 43 unnutes after 2. THE SUN. IbLEM tens MCERE FALSUM AUDP:AT LONDON, SATLTD.IY, DECEMBER 26, 1818. We received this morning the Paris Papers of Wednesfky Tact. The following are extracts " CITANIBER OF PEERS—Srr•rixc or DEC. 22. " The Chamber assembled at one o'clock under the Presidency of the Chancellor. " A letter from Marshal the Duke de Reggio, offered a Guard of Honour from the National Guards, which was accepted with thanks. " The Marquis de FOntanes, in the name of the Committee for preparing the Address to the King, presented a projet of it. projet, after being twice read, was re ferred to the Bureaux for examination. It was then deliberated upon, adopted by the Assembly, and will he presented to the King by a grandde..- putation of the Chamber. " "Iwenty Members were drawn by lot to form the Deputation with the Bureau, and the Grand Referendary. " The Chamber separated at five without any fixed adj6turnuent. " CIL OF DEPUTIES. " The Committee, appointed by the Bureaux for preparing the Address ro the King, has ter minated its labours. The Report will be sub• milted to the Chamber to-morrow in Secret Committee. " There will he previously a Public Sitting for the cnn►ntunication of a Piojet of law which will be presented by the :Minister of Finance. " Drc. 23.—Yesterday the King gave a private audience to M. le Baillie de Fcrrette, the Minister Plenipotentiary of Baden, who de livered to the King a Letter• from the Grand Duke of Baden, notifying the death of his nephe'it, the late Grand Mike, his predecessor. " The Court will go into mourning for the late Grand Duke of Baden, .front Thursday, the 24th instant, to Wednesday, the 30th instant inclu sive, fora• days in black, and three in white. " The King is better. His Majesty transacted business yesterday with the Minister of General Police. " By an Qrdonnance of the Chamber of Coun cil, dated yesterday, the Tribunal de premiere instance, on the Report of M. Meslier, Juge struction, has referred to the' Conr Royale the case of Nicholas Cantillon, formerly a soldier, charged with having in the night between the -10th and I Ith February last, committed, with pre meditation and malice propense, an attempt at homicile, upon the person of the Doke of Wellington, which attempt was manifested by overt acts, and followed by a comtuencement of execution, and which only failed in its effect by fortuitous circumstances, independent of the will of the accused party.. " The case of the Sicur Mariner, who i% de clared to be of no profession;bas been referred by the same Ordonnance to the Cour Royale, on the charge of complicity with., Cantillon,. in exciting the latter by promises, and giving him instruc tions to commit the mime. " The proceedings of the Chambers of Accu sation, which it will be necessary to examine for the purpose of ascertaining tvhether it is fit the accused should be tried before the Court of Assizes, are extremely voluminous. Besides the interrogatoties and declarations taken at Paris, there are a multitude of declarations of witnesses w hich b,,ve been taken in the Netherlands by virtue ut rogatory commissions. " M. Claveao, tile advocate of Cantillon, is thawing up.a second memoir in his favour. FIVE PEEICENTI. Tuesday . . 63 f. :20 c. T.)Pl , Fitne - D SToCK. Of the 22d March, 1817, • • 7B f. 60n. clid Sept. 1817, Slfl March, 1118, 72 f. C. 22d Sept., 1818, " A UGSBURG. DEC. 15. 7 --It is understood th►tt a Courier Extraoldittary has annonoved, at Mu nich, the arrival of the Emperor of Russia at Vienna. General. Langenan has been el - 111)1(.1ot to proceed on a mission from vi,„ ma to F"„kf ort, to accelerate, in the ( name of Anstria, the defini tive organisation of tle Confederation. " CuEmmiz, Dec. I,l.—The King. of Saxony to arriVC,l here Or. ilte Sth instant in tk evenisip meet the Emperor of Russia. Ills Imperial l' a ‘ jesty arrived on the 9th, at half-past one io the morning, and alighted at the house of the brother s Krause, where the King received him. 'Ole Monarchs embraced and conversed togethEr f ar some time. About ten the Emperor visited King, and set out immediately for Schlau, whe re he is to sleep. Some minutes afterwards th e King set out to return to Dresden. " The Emperoi arrived yesterday afternooo 8t Prague." By private accounts front Paris, received this morning•, we. learn, that the Ft cite!' five P er Cents. had fallen on Wednesday to 62 f. Boston Pdpers to tlie 20th ult. arrived tb [nor ning. (From 7'he Daily Advertiser of the 25th.) A letter, published in The New York Eretting Post, from the Surgeon of the ship Chauncey , ° I that City, bound on a voyage to the Pacifi 4 Ocean, states, that on touching at Rio Janeiro that ship was take❑ possession of by the officers of (b 6 Customs, off► suspicion of her being a Pirate, eil d. the Otlicrs were confined far several days ja dungeon. On the i►►terterence of Mr. Stirdrre o the American Minister, they , sere released, •°` l proper measures have been taken by our Minister for for obtaining satisfaction fur this abuse' of Citizens, and insult on our . flag. (1 4- rom the WU4C Pap,- of the 2619 SPNNtsti AmtivicA.—Lit tiers front %%Pashto . o' s say, Judge BLAND and M. GRAHAM (and Mr' R(,DNEY id added by sozne), are of opinion tha t the United States ought not to acknowledge (b e Independence of the South Atnetican Provinces, and that Mr. CLAY . S ardour on the subject 1 0)9 abated. • A new steam-boat, from Delaware to Ness' Or' leans, had burst its boiler, by which seven persou s loot their lives. There was a passage in THE MESSAGE of TO PRESIDENT of the United States of Americ" which appeared in this Paper of yesterday, porting that an authorised mission had been se" to inquire into the real state of the Spanish C °. lonics of South America. The Gentlemen o w ' ployed on this interesting inquiry were, Mes rs. RODNEY, GRAHAM, and BLAND. These Gentleto'fl have severally made a Report of the result of ihc ic mission to thedifferent provinces which they visit ea ' Mr. liontgues and Mr. BLAND'S have not Y e . c been published in this Country, but to that lit ° Mr. GEAnAm we are indebted to The Times of ' l ' ls day, as we were yesterday for the PRPs I PeST 5 MESSAGE, which appeared exclusively in that P a° per.—This Report is a very inter s.ing D oo ' ment, and should be read with particnlAr air tetvion bv - people in general, as it is P r 67 hably a true representation of the state of Bt 7 fairs in the revolted Colonies, and will COI quently enable the world to guard against the partial reports of the democratieal Miters of l l° . Mrtropolis, who have so often exaggerated 1114 successes of the Revolters, and as often 80 111 : voted the losses of the Royal Artnv in tb°l quarter, on the one hand, and agains't 11 1 favourable accounts of the triumphs of the lloY s Cause on the other. The Gentlemen eillm played on the Mission in cint-stion must pos' e4 considerable talents and big!, moral reputes or they would not have been selected for SO ant is destination, and they must know that (b rir l respective Reports would be issuvd to the , v OII at large, u consideration that is an additional rev. son for confidence in the accuracy of their re, spective statements. The late A AnoN .G 1 RAHAIVI, Esq. whose deat4 we , announced yesterday, and whose w‘ 4l l ' ; k no wl e dge, a bilities, and public s e rvices , .”"; - ,' 9 entitle his memory to the highest respect' left a widow, two SOng a o,l one da titer. elder son, as we stated yesterday, is a CriPli iill)- the British Navy. The youngest is in the Chore" serving as Ultapi , iin to the Chapel Royal. be 0 , Lorna NIAYOR's DoNATtoss.—VesterdaY Christmas-day, the Right Hon. the LORD ordered the pi isonens in Newgare, Whit ecross% street icon, and the Compter3) ee r , to receive one pound of meat, one pint of and !wit a thteepenny loaf, in addition I" the (leased allowances of bread,. meat, co 5' given by the City ot London. ic We regret to learn, that On Tuesday Ho n . Montagu Mathew, one of the itepreseo"'; lives in l'arlidment for this county, had a se , ice paralytic attack, at CastlefoLtatty, the se:a e chwitns Esq. near ;Doilies. t,otne satisfaction, however, in saying, OW ti e ' tletuen since a fluor ha .ived flu tart rieightwurir ) ( i ' l r ' bring intelligence that the Hon. Gehtlem" ,clttle degree Netter.—(Honmel Paper.) Fo e Wt: see by the Moruing PVC [hat t,te *pt . the 2d Life GllartlS are to be sold at 1 1 ,, TERSALL'S MOlltlay. They have b een uoiv sally admired for their beauty and 'corulitinn: were selected by Gen. BavaToN pith the g re;e . ' e Care true!- w udgment. As we untletstatol theY r' ti d all young and in high enntlition, they ill good opportunities. to i h o , e w h o a re anxious r e 4 he wellm oubted, as the eiror m oies sole of 11%;0 horses that has taken phce already, ghost be 1 111/ favour of the purehaseta. • ! :~ S l